The Forgotten Shipping Pallet Stages a Pandemic-Era Rally
The Forgotten Shipping Pallet Stages a Pandemic-Era Rally Bloomberg 5 hrs ago (Bloomberg) -- After carrying the weight of the global economy since World War II with little fanfare, the lowly shipping pallet is finally commanding some respect. Demand for the platforms used to haul nearly every consumer good or industrial ingredient is soaring amid a surge in e-commerce, forcing retailers and manufacturers to expand warehouses or pile inventories higher. At the same time, two keys to production -- cheap lumber and labor -- are scarce, and even nail costs are rising. The result: Pallet prices...